Gardeners told 'it's not too late' to plant vegetables if they act right now

If you’re planning to grow your own veggies this year, experts say it’s not too late if you get stuck in now.

With the weatherheating up and the sun shining, many of us are spending more time in our gardens – which includes trying our hand at planting. There are many benefits to growing your own fruit and vegetables. Not only does it get you outdoors, it can also save you money.

While many veggies have already passed their harvesting season, it’s not too late. There are actually several popular vegetables that can be planted in August to enjoy in a couple of months’ time. Olivia Steed-Mundin, kitchen gardener at Sissinghurst Castle Garden recommends a whole host of vegetables that you can sow now to enjoy in autumn or early winter.

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Beetroot

This sharp purple veg is the perfect edition to salads, sandwiches and even juices. Luckily, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy its distinctive taste in your own garden.

Olivia says: “This is a very easy vegetable to grow and brilliant to sow in August as it swells quickly, particularly if it gets plenty of water. It will tolerate light frosts so can be harvested through autumn into early winter.”

Cima di rapa

Olivia says this leafy Italian vegetable is “much faster and easier” to grow than broccoli. It is also known to have a sweet and subtle bitter taste.

She adds: “It can be sown now in 3-week intervals for a continuous supply until early winter. Unlike other vegetables in the cabbage family, we find that cabbage white butterflies don’t lay their eggs on it, so you won’t need to protect it with butterfly netting.”

Florence fennel

Olivia describes the flavour of this fennel as “slightly aniseed”. She explains that August is the best time to sow it as it is prone to flowering if sown earlier. It can also stay in the ground until early winter.

Chard

Olivia says: “Chard is a great vegetable to sow now as it will give you an autumn crop (October- December) and will then sit dormant over winter before sprouting again for harvesting in spring.”

She adds: “At Sissinghurst we love to grow rainbow chard, as the brightly coloured stems are stunning.”

Cabbage

This green vegetable makes a versatile addition to your garden. Olivia recommends: "There are many cabbage varieties that can be sown in August and then left to bulk up overwinter for a spring harvest."

She continues: "Personally, I love the Hispi-type cabbages (also known as ‘sweetheart’ cabbages) which are deliciously sweet, but they will need protecting from pigeons who are very hungry in winter and spring!"